Typically, wind turbines include a rotor having a plurality of rotor blades mounted thereon; a drive train and a generator housed in a nacelle; and a tower. The nacelle and the rotor are typically mounted on top of the tower. The blades each include an upwind side and a downwind side. In optimal operation, a pocket of low-pressure air forms on the downwind side of the blade. The low-pressure air pocket pulls the blade toward it, causing the rotor to turn. This is referred to as “lift.” The force of the lift is actually much stronger than the wind's frictional force opposing motion, which is called “drag.” Lift will always be at a right angle to the wind while drag will follow in the direction of the wind. The combination of lift and drag causes the rotor to spin the blades of the rotor. Both lift and drag may change abruptly when the angle of attack for the wind turbine changes. The angle of attack of the wind impinging on the rotor blade is the angle between the rotor blade's reference line (e.g., the chord line of the airfoil shape) and the oncoming air flow. In operation, wind turbines occasionally receive wind gusts and other extreme wind scenarios in which the angle of attack turns negative. In this case, the lift generated by the wind turbine blade is highly detrimental to the performance and lifetime of the blade and can cause serious damage.